Michael Rogers (born November 12, 1963)[1]) is an Americanfundraiser, blogger and gay rights activist. He is a partner, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Raw Story Media, Inc.,,[2] co-owner of Alternet Media,[3] and founder and Director of Netroots Connect. He is also known for his work in reporting on closeted gay politicians who are anti-gay.[4] He was the subject of the 2009 film Outrage.

Rogers has served as the Director of Donor Development of the Funding Exchange, a consortium of community foundations and grantmaking program. In Washington, DC, Rogers was the Director of Development for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. He worked as Director of Donor Development at the Funding Exchange, Director of Development of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Senior Manager of Major Gifts at the environmental organization Greenpeace.

In the mid 1980s Rogers was President of the LGBT Student Association (then GLOBE: Gays, Lesbians or Bisexuals for Equality) of the University of Buffalo. In 1985 he became the first board member representing youth clients on the Board of Directors of Gay and Lesbian Youth of Buffalo (Now Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York). From 1986 to 1989, Rogers served on the Board of the Buffalo and Niagara chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.[citation needed]

In 1993, Rogers founded a national network of fundraisers at LGBT organizations.[citation needed]

In 2003, Rogers founded FixTheBricks, a website created to encourage local business to take responsibility for the public spaces around their establishments.[citation needed]

Since February 2013, he has been a member of the WikiQueer Global Advisory Board.[6]

In 2002, Rogers founded Stop The Box, his first internet activism effort. "The 'Box'," referred to a 20 ft. wide, 10 ft. height and 8 ft depth unattended structure that housed a prototype automatic convenience store. The Box was owned by Tik Tok Easy Shop company. Rogers created a website and organized resistance among residents living near the store. He coordinated protests and education campaigns against it. Rogers also discovered that the internet domain registration and the company were wholly owned by the McDonald's Corporation.[7][8][9][10] Rogers had a letter published in The New York Times relating to the machine.[11] The machine was removed within months of its installation.[citation needed]

In 2008, citizens of California approved Proposition 8, a voter initiative to repeal the state's marriage equality law. Under the law before the passage of Proposition 8, same sex couples were allowed to marry in the state. Because the initiative passed, marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples in the state was repealed. Following the election, Rogers learned that a Subway Franchisee in Merced, California had donated $2,500 to the Yes on 8 campaign. Under threat of a boycott, Rogers made the following demands of Subway:

Subway agreed to the first two[12][13] and Rogers dropped his demand for the equal gift when the original gift was rescinded. Subway's headquarters wrote to all locations (as of January 21, 2013: 38,623)[14] explaining how the gift was in violation of franchisee policies. The company also explained that the company's non-discrimination policies will now include sexual orientation and gender identity.[15]

On July 7, 2004, Rogers launched BlogActive, a personal blog.[16] The blog has been a focal point for outingcloseted gay politicians who actively oppose gay rights. His work has been profiled twice by The Washington Post, including a 2007 profile which asked if Rogers was The Most Feared Man On the Hill.[17]

On August 19, 2004, Rogers first major report was on US Rep. Edward L. Schrock (R-VA).[18] Rogers published a set of recordings of Schrock[19][20] using the MegaMates/Mega Phone Line, a service for men to meet other men for the purposes of meeting for sexual encounters.[21] On August 30, 2004, during the Republican National Convention, Schrock ended his reelection campaign.[22]

One year prior to the publishing of emails from US Rep. Mark Foley to a 16-year-old seeking sexual encounters,[23] Rogers reported on Foley on March 4, 2005.[24]

Rogers is the subject of the Magnolia Pictures/HBO film Outrage, a documentary by director Kirby Dick. The film focuses on closeted politicians and senior political staff who work against the LGBT community. Rogers's activities are followed and a number of his cases, including US Rep. Ed Schrock and US Senator Larry Craig are central themes to the film. Rogers also served as a consultant to the filmmakers.

In 2004 Rogers appeared on the O'Reilly Factor with Bill O'Reilly. During his appearance Rogers challenged the talk show host because O'Reilly outed a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, while attacking Rogers's work. The exchange was reported in the Chicago Tribune.[29]